Mencap

Hugh Bayley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received recently from Mencap about housing for older people with learning disabilities; and if he will make a statement. [64473]

Jacqui Smith:
We recognise that there is particular concern about the position of people with learning disabilities living with older carers aged 70 and over. They and their families must be able to plan for the future in good time. Promoting supported living for older people with learning disabilities is one of the priorities for both

1 Jul 2002 : Column 156W

the revenue and capital elements of the £42 million learning disability development fund, announced in the White Paper "Valuing People: A New Strategy for Learning Disability for the 21st Century" published in March 2001. The fund has been made available to the new learning disability partnership boards, now established in each local authority area. Each partnership board has produced a local plan to improve services for people with learning disabilities and their families.

I have received a copy of Mencap's report, "The Housing Timebomb" (June 2002), which considers housing, care and support issues affecting people with learning disabilities living with older parents. We will consider the report and its recommendations carefully.

Audiology Services

Mr. Berry:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to spend more than the £20 million investment in audiology services announced on 24 December 2001. [65084]

Jacqui Smith:
Since 200001, we have invested £30.75 million in modernising hearing aid services, including the provision of digital hearing aids. Recently a team led by James Strachan, chief executive of Royal National Institute for the Deaf, has been successful in negotiating a significant reduction in the cost to the national health service of purchasing digital hearing aids. These price reductions will enable the rollout of modernised services to proceed more quickly.

Health Action Zone (Cumbria)

Dr. Jack Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what policy initiatives have been introduced by the Health Action Zone in Cumbria; what progress has been made in identifying problems needing special attention; and if he will make a statement. [64855]

Jacqui Smith:
Over the last year the ethos of the North Cumbria health action has changed following the development of local health groups. These groups determine the needs of their respective areas and the appropriate degree of resources.

A number of projects have been funded by the local health group in Copeland over the last 12 months. These include:

Welfare advice in primary care;

A physical activity directory;

A healthy communities worker;

Debt advice service;

A community cardiac rehabilitation programme manager;

Howgill community garden;

A smoking cessation adviser; as well as a number of smaller local projects such as the;

Aqua aerobics in Mirehouse and healthy eating and physical activity in Distington.

Private Finance Initiative (Bradford)

Mr. Rooney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the status is of the Bradford Hospital Trust PFI bid to redevelop Bradford Royal Infirmary and St. Luke's Hospital. [64868]

1 Jul 2002 : Column 157W

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 27 June 2002]: Bradford Hospitals National Health Service Trust is currently preparing their outline business case for this scheme. Subject to its approval, the trust is expected to go out to tender by placing an Official Journal of the European Community notice early next year.

Care Provision

Mr. Drew:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish statistics for levels for the provision of care, broken down by area. [65016]

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 27 June 2002]: The Department publishes a wide range of health and social care statistics for relevant areas and some of these statistics are available broken down by level of care. As well as printed publications available in the Library, these statistics may be found on the Department's website.

The address for social care statistics is: www.doh.gov.uk/ public/pub_social_care.htm.

1 Jul 2002 : Column 158W

Figures on national health service in-patient care are available for a range of areas from the hospital episode statistics (HES) database and may be found at the HES website at: www.doh.gov.uk/hes/index.html.

Stroke

Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals have not been equipped with stroke units; and in which areas they are. [60133]

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 12 June 2002]: Stroke sentinel audits 19992001 carried out by the Royal College of Physicians, showed that the number of people treated in a stroke unit had increased. However, none of the data identify individual hospitals. The next audit will be available later this year.

The monitoring of the national service framework stroke standard, April 2002 milestone, requiring the development of integrated stroke services will be available shortly.

Fostering

Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many foster parents were registered by (a) region and (b) health authority in each of the last five years. [61355]

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 17 June 2002]: The information available is shown in the table.

Details of the numbers of approved foster carers taken from the TSP application forms for the five years 199899 to 200203